Extreme E unveils full series concept ahead of 2021 launch
The nature of the Extreme E electric off-road SUV racing series has been unveiled by co-founders Gil de Ferran and Alejandro Agag and is set to begin in January 2021


The championship, which is operated in association with ABB FIA Formula E, hosted a launch event on the river Thames in central London, pictured above, on board the Royal Mail Ship St Helena.
XE will hold electric SUV racing events in five remote areas of the world - the Arctic, the Himalayas, the Sahara desert, the Amazon rainforest and islands in the Indian Ocean.
Autosport has previously reported that XE entrants will use the same spec-chassis base underneath bespoke silhouette SUV racing designs, with limited powertrain areas available for development.
The event format will be a series of head-to-heads over stages approximately five miles long, with a round-robin group stage leading to a knockout tournament to decide the event winner.
The drivers will race side-by-side, with XE organisers emphasising that it is not a rally format.
XE is aiming for 12 one-car teams and is targeting major manufacturers that produce electric SUV models as entrants.
There will be two groups of six teams, with the drivers in each group competing head-to-head in sequence.
Points will be awarded for each group race winner, with the final order of the group deciding the knockout match-ups in a seeded system - highest to lowest.
Autosport understands that any ties will be decided on fastest time. The top four teams from each group will progress into the knockout stages.
"Extreme E offers a unique sport, adventure and entertainment concept that has never been seen or done before," said XE chairman de Ferran.
XE's organisers intend to to highlight the damage climate change is doing to the eco-systems where it will race, as well as promote electric SUV technology.

"I strongly believe that Extreme E can help make the world more sustainable faster, and we have a dream team to make this ambition a reality," said FE CEO Agag.
The events will not be broadcast live in a traditional format.
XE will be filmed in a 'docu-sport' style, with each event broadcast as a single episode.
Autosport understands that while XE does not currently have a broadcast partner, it intends to sell the rights to the series to a digital streaming company.
"Viewers can expect a completely new way of consuming sport, with each episode telling not just the story of a race, but the wider race of awareness and the need to protect these remote and challenging environments being explored by Extreme E," said de Ferran.
Academy Award winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens will be XE's artistic director and will produce the broadcasts.
RMS St Helena, picutured above, will transport all the championship's supplies and equipment and will be refitted to act as XE's floating paddock and operations base.
British explorer and environmentalist David de Rothschild will be XE's chief explorer.
An XE statement described the series as a "fully-funded venture", which is already backed by founding partner Continental Tyres, and niobium supplier CBMM.

Formula E's new superstar has emerged
Formula E technology will be used in the new Extreme E series

Latest news
De Vries cleared of wrongdoing in dispute over €250K loan
Nyck de Vries has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an Amsterdam court over a claim launched against him by real estate magnate Jeroen Schothorst relating to a €250,000 loan.
Horner admits Red Bull’s real RB19 will be ‘somewhat different’
Red Bull boss Christian Horner says the real RB19 that will appear in Formula 1 testing in Bahrain later this month will be ‘somewhat different'.
Horner hints at closer links between Mercedes and Williams F1 teams
Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner has hinted that there could be a closer relationship between the Mercedes and Williams Formula 1 teams in the wake of James Vowles’s move.
Ford remains committed to WRC amid F1 return
Ford has stated that it remains committed to its programme in the World Rally Championship following confirmation of its return to Formula 1 as an engine supplier from 2026.
The key factors behind Porsche's strong start to Formula E's new era
A low-key Valencia test left some quarters of Porsche's Formula E squad worried, but a 100% winning start for the German manufacturer's powertrain in 2022-23 underlines its early race day advantage. Porsche's key figures explain the strong start in Gen3, and why the work is only just beginning
How Wehrlein's Diriyah double reveals Formula E's form book shake-up
After Porsche-powered drivers locked out the top two positions to open Formula E's new Gen3 era in Mexico, the order was reversed in Diriyah. Ex-Formula 1 driver Pascal Wehrlein's factory car headed Jake Dennis's customer Andretti machine in both races under the Riyadh lights in a display that leaves little doubt as to which package currently has the edge
The first impressions of Formula E's brave new era
OPINION: Formula E kicked off its Gen3 era at Mexico City with keen anticipation - and anxiety - surrounding its new, more powerful cars. Here's how the new machinery got on in its first race, and what could be open to improvement later down the line
How Dennis dominated Formula E's new generation opener
Formula E’s Gen3 era kicked off with more unpredictability as Andretti’s Jake Dennis recovered from poor pre-season testing to dominate in Mexico. Here's how it played out and what the opener hints at what is to come in the new generation of the electric series
Is this a Formula E 'nearly man's' best chance yet at title glory?
With braking issues scuppering his championship hopes at a crucial moment in the 2021-22 Formula E season, Mitch Evans is more determined than ever heading into this year. He explains how he plans to make it third time lucky after two title near-misses
Can McLaren make a success of its foray into Formula E?
McLaren kept a two-time title-winning Formula E team alive after purchasing the Mercedes entry. But with new drivers and a switch to customer status, can it continue to succeed in its new orange era?
10 things we learned from Valencia Formula E testing
The prologue to the 2022/2023 Formula E season has concluded as the series gets set for the new Gen3 era. After almost four days of testing in Valencia this week, Autosport takes a look at the 10 major talking points that will dominate the build-up to the new campaign getting underway in January.
How Jaguar got its teeth into Formula E's Gen3 development race
With Mercedes gone and DS moving teams, Jaguar has a big opportunity at the start of Formula E's Gen3 era. The technical challenges in understanding the new car have been vast, with senior figures James Barclay and Phil Charles outlining to Autosport the pitfalls along the way
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.